Rodney C. Adkins

Community Involvement/Public Service

Mr. Rodney Adkins graduated as Valedictorian in the Miami Jackson Senior High School, Class of 1976.
Additionally, while a student at Miami Jackson Senior High School, he was Student Council President
and a member of the Track and Field Team.

After graduating from Miami Jackson, Mr. Adkins pursued his college education at Rollins College, where he completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. Additionally, he completed a second Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. While a student at Georgia Institute of Technology, he found time for “Greek Life” and became a Founding Member of the Lambda Delta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Upon graduation from college in Engineering, Mr. Adkins began his stellar career that encompasses multiple upper-level positions with IBM. He is the company’s first African American Senior Vice President and corporate officer. In his more than 33-year career, Mr. Adkins has held several senior vice president roles, including Strategic Partnerships and Corporate Strategy from 2013 to 2014, where he was responsible for leading continuous transformation across IBM and developing strategies for a new era of computing, new markets, and new clients. Mr. Adkins’ work spanned the world of technology and computing. He was a leading innovator in solutions ranging from mobile devices to the world’s largest supercomputers. His major contributions included helping to develop the Personal Computer industry, launching the IBM ThinkPad mobile PC, leading IBM’s POWER business to become the dominant player in the UNIX market, and helping to pioneer what became IBM’s portfolio of Smarter Planet solutions.

For his exemplary work, Mr. Adkins was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in
2005, which is one of the highest national recognitions for the engineering profession. His life story is
archived in The History Makers and he is a lifetime member of the National Society of Black Engineers
(NSBE).

Mr. Adkins is a devoted philanthropist and a passionate supporter of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) related activities. Along with his wife, Michelle Adkins, they are Founding Donors of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, sponsors of the “Free Gospel Sundays” series at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, FL and contributors to the University of Miami UHealth Champions program.

He is currently President of 3RAM Group LLC, a privately held company specializing in capital investments, business consulting services, and property management.